Eightball
Member
I got to thinking the other day--why is it that nearabouts every new rifle design today has a daggone near completely enclosed bolt mechanism? Take the AR--completely enclosed. The AK is less so (still has a handle on the thing), but has a "dust cover." Same with the G3, FAL, G36, SCAR, ACR, AR10, Barrets, SU16s, and nearabouts any other newer rifle. Compare that to, say, a Garand, with a bolt that is, more or less, completely "exposed." The M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M14(+derivatives), possibly the SKS (kinda middling), SVT, G43 (yeah I know, some of those are stretching it a bit), etc. Bolt actions have it for obvious reasons, but even things like the Krag-Jorgenson, which you didn't necessarily feed from the top, had an open bolt still. I know, I know, I'm making some "you DIDN'T just ask that" kind of observations, but just to illustrate what I'm trying to get at.
My question is, primarily, why? Did I just overlook something in my tired, college-student brain? I mean, it isn't like those more "exposed-bolt" type firearms had all that many problems floating around due to the fact that the bolt was out in the open.
My question is, primarily, why? Did I just overlook something in my tired, college-student brain? I mean, it isn't like those more "exposed-bolt" type firearms had all that many problems floating around due to the fact that the bolt was out in the open.